Land bill finalised, to go to Cabinet for approval

The much-awaited Land Acquisition Bill has been finalised and sent to the Union Cabinet, which is likely take up the matter for consideration at its next meeting, a senior official said on Monday.

Sources said the bill was finalised by the Rural Development Ministry incorporating the suggestion of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi who had asked the government to take consent from 80 per cent landowners for purchase of land for the purpose of setting up industries and PPP projects.

"The bill is finalised. The Ministry has sent it to the Cabinet. The Bill is likely to be taken up in its next meeting," the official said.

Sources said Gandhi was not in favour of the Group of Minister's proposal that consent of two-third of "land losers" (from whom land would be purchased) was enough for acquiring land for industries and PPP projects.

The GoM had suggested that the consent clause should be kept at 67

per cent for PPP projects and private projects.

The government had constituted the GoM after some ministers voiced strong reservation against certain provisions of the Bill at the Cabinet meeting.

Sources also said that the final version of the bill has no retrospective clause and instead there will be a cut-off date. They, however, did not elaborate.

An official said the government intends to introduce the bill in the Lok Sabha in the Winter Session.

Last week, Minister of State for Rural Development Lal Chand Kataria had informed the Rajya Sabha that the Government intends to introduce the official amendments to the LARR Bill, 2011 (Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill) in the Lok Sabha in the Winter Session of Parliament.

The Bill has been hanging fire even though the National Advisory Council headed by Gandhi has been pushing for the law and has framed its broad contours.